Writing Sample: Executive Message
Tone: Formal
Subject: A Note from the President
Date: June 2020
Dear Team,
Before I begin, I understand that many of us are hurting and experiencing a multitude of emotions right now, and I may not get all of my words right. But, please know that this note comes from a sincere place.
I’m reflecting on this very confusing and heavy time in our country. I recognize that many of us were just starting to see some hope in this battle against COVID-19 recently, and then we witnessed the tragic death of George Floyd last week. His death and the subsequent violence that has erupted has bared a very deep and long-standing wound in the fabric of our country, and that's not to be ignored.
Now more than ever, we are reminded of the importance of unity and inclusion. At Experian, we stand united and continue to focus our energy on creating a culture of inclusion, where racism, sexism, and bigotry are absolutely not tolerated.
This past weekend, I had dinner with my family, and my 12-year-old asked me what he can do to help. We talked about one of our favorite quotes from Spider-Man. Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker as things were changing in his world, "With great power, comes great responsibility." We have the power to live each day with an active, bold mindset of inclusivity.
We truly have an awesome team of talented individuals across many cities, states, and countries. With that said, I also recognize that current times look different for everyone. There is confusion, fear, anxiety, and pain due to what is going on in our world. Please feel free to utilize our EAP resources or reach out to me, the leadership team, your colleagues, or our ERGs, if there is anything we can do to help as we all continue to focus our energy on inclusion.
Team, we are here to support one another, and we stand united.
Sincerely,
XXX
President
Tone: Formal
Subject: A Note from the President
Date: June 2020
Dear Team,
Before I begin, I understand that many of us are hurting and experiencing a multitude of emotions right now, and I may not get all of my words right. But, please know that this note comes from a sincere place.
I’m reflecting on this very confusing and heavy time in our country. I recognize that many of us were just starting to see some hope in this battle against COVID-19 recently, and then we witnessed the tragic death of George Floyd last week. His death and the subsequent violence that has erupted has bared a very deep and long-standing wound in the fabric of our country, and that's not to be ignored.
Now more than ever, we are reminded of the importance of unity and inclusion. At Experian, we stand united and continue to focus our energy on creating a culture of inclusion, where racism, sexism, and bigotry are absolutely not tolerated.
This past weekend, I had dinner with my family, and my 12-year-old asked me what he can do to help. We talked about one of our favorite quotes from Spider-Man. Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker as things were changing in his world, "With great power, comes great responsibility." We have the power to live each day with an active, bold mindset of inclusivity.
We truly have an awesome team of talented individuals across many cities, states, and countries. With that said, I also recognize that current times look different for everyone. There is confusion, fear, anxiety, and pain due to what is going on in our world. Please feel free to utilize our EAP resources or reach out to me, the leadership team, your colleagues, or our ERGs, if there is anything we can do to help as we all continue to focus our energy on inclusion.
Team, we are here to support one another, and we stand united.
Sincerely,
XXX
President
Writing Sample: Executive Message
Tone: Casual
Subject: Observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Date: January 2021
Hey team,
On Monday, our U.S. colleagues will be observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day. After a confusing and heavy 2020, Dr. King's message continues to ring true about injustice, hope, and unity in today's times. If you would like to read or listen to his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech from 1963, click here. When I listened to it today, I couldn't help but pause and reflect on the lives that our world lost last year, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and too many others.
I am also reminded that we have the opportunity to make positive change. Whether it's volunteering in the community, sending a kind note to others, or taking time to learn about each other's stories, I encourage you to embrace the power to live each day with an intentional mindset of inclusivity and equality.
Thanks and take care,
XXX
President
Tone: Casual
Subject: Observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Date: January 2021
Hey team,
On Monday, our U.S. colleagues will be observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day. After a confusing and heavy 2020, Dr. King's message continues to ring true about injustice, hope, and unity in today's times. If you would like to read or listen to his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech from 1963, click here. When I listened to it today, I couldn't help but pause and reflect on the lives that our world lost last year, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and too many others.
I am also reminded that we have the opportunity to make positive change. Whether it's volunteering in the community, sending a kind note to others, or taking time to learn about each other's stories, I encourage you to embrace the power to live each day with an intentional mindset of inclusivity and equality.
Thanks and take care,
XXX
President
Writing Sample: Human Resources Message
Tone: Informative
Subject: Goal-Setting for H2
Date: October 2020
Hi everyone,
As we start the second half of the fiscal year, it’s time to review and update your goals. Given all of the changes we’ve had over the last few months, the goals you put in place at the start of the year may require some modifications or may no longer be relevant as objectives have continued to adjust over time due to the demands of the pandemic. Please take this opportunity to review your FY21 goals with your manager and update them as needed in the Elevate Performance Portal.
Here are a few tips to consider while reviewing your goals:
Lastly, please remember to align your goals with our FY21 strategic priorities (see attached).
Here's to a strong H2!
XXX
Sr. HR Business Partner
Tone: Informative
Subject: Goal-Setting for H2
Date: October 2020
Hi everyone,
As we start the second half of the fiscal year, it’s time to review and update your goals. Given all of the changes we’ve had over the last few months, the goals you put in place at the start of the year may require some modifications or may no longer be relevant as objectives have continued to adjust over time due to the demands of the pandemic. Please take this opportunity to review your FY21 goals with your manager and update them as needed in the Elevate Performance Portal.
Here are a few tips to consider while reviewing your goals:
- Have you identified your dominant goal? Is it realistic and measurable yet allows room to be stretched? Your dominant goal should be the one that matters the most to you or your team.
- Remember to identify your short-term goals and measures (i.e., 30 or 90 days). These should be goals that will make the most impact in the near-term, which will ultimately help contribute to you achieving your long-term dominant goal.
- Continue to review your progress against your dominant and short-term goals. Make sensible adjustments as needed and discuss with your manager during your one-on-ones.
- Identify your core responsibilities. These are your day-to-day tasks that you own in your role.
- Add a reminder to your calendar to review your goals regularly.
- We understand balancing work and personal priorities can be challenging, especially this year. When you set your goals, we encourage you to focus your energy on your most essential projects, which will add the most value to our business and your growth.
Lastly, please remember to align your goals with our FY21 strategic priorities (see attached).
Here's to a strong H2!
XXX
Sr. HR Business Partner
Writing Sample: A Message from the People Team
Tone: Inspirational
Subject: Wise Words from Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Date: September 2020
Hi Team,
As we close out this week, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on Ruth Bader Ginsburg's imparting wisdom. She passed away last week but was an incredibly influential leader. This Woj Way blog post outlined some points that really resonated with me and I hope will be helpful to you too. Here are two nuggets of wisdom that I want to highlight:
Repairing the world. It is important... to find a passion in life, something they personally care about and a way for them to be a positive change in repairing the world. Our world today needs a lot of repairing. We are all part of a community; we are not just working for ourselves.
This made me think about our culture pillars, especially Purpose. Why do you come to work? What is your part in the community? Finding our "why" makes work more enjoyable and reminds us that we are doing something much bigger than ourselves. Have you defined your "why"? I encourage you to talk to your people leaders about this if you need assistance.
It helps to be a little deaf. When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best to tune it out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.
Of course, this is a figure of speech, but during this time of COVID-19 and working from home, our patience is being tested. Our levels of empathy fluctuate, and by default, so do our stress levels. In addition, some of us are being challenged with finding the balance of being parents/guardians on top of work. We mustn't let the little annoyances get the better of us. We are a team, after all.
Let's continue to support one another. A friendly "hello" via Slack or giving someone kudos can go a long way. If you have the time, you can also offer a helping hand to a colleague. Each and every one of us has the opportunity each day to wake up and choose how we are going to respond to the day's events, both in our professional and personal lives. I hope RBG's wisdom inspires and helps you this Friday.
Thanks for taking a minute to let me share my thoughts with you. I hope you find time this weekend to rest and be kind to yourselves.
XXX
SVP of People
Tone: Inspirational
Subject: Wise Words from Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Date: September 2020
Hi Team,
As we close out this week, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on Ruth Bader Ginsburg's imparting wisdom. She passed away last week but was an incredibly influential leader. This Woj Way blog post outlined some points that really resonated with me and I hope will be helpful to you too. Here are two nuggets of wisdom that I want to highlight:
Repairing the world. It is important... to find a passion in life, something they personally care about and a way for them to be a positive change in repairing the world. Our world today needs a lot of repairing. We are all part of a community; we are not just working for ourselves.
This made me think about our culture pillars, especially Purpose. Why do you come to work? What is your part in the community? Finding our "why" makes work more enjoyable and reminds us that we are doing something much bigger than ourselves. Have you defined your "why"? I encourage you to talk to your people leaders about this if you need assistance.
It helps to be a little deaf. When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best to tune it out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.
Of course, this is a figure of speech, but during this time of COVID-19 and working from home, our patience is being tested. Our levels of empathy fluctuate, and by default, so do our stress levels. In addition, some of us are being challenged with finding the balance of being parents/guardians on top of work. We mustn't let the little annoyances get the better of us. We are a team, after all.
Let's continue to support one another. A friendly "hello" via Slack or giving someone kudos can go a long way. If you have the time, you can also offer a helping hand to a colleague. Each and every one of us has the opportunity each day to wake up and choose how we are going to respond to the day's events, both in our professional and personal lives. I hope RBG's wisdom inspires and helps you this Friday.
Thanks for taking a minute to let me share my thoughts with you. I hope you find time this weekend to rest and be kind to yourselves.
XXX
SVP of People
Writing Sample: A Message from the CTO - Change Management of Tools
Tone: Informative
Subject: Introducing... Slack!
Date: August 2020
Hi team,
As you know from our last all hands, we’re moving to Slack for our internal day-to-day communications to promote better cross-functional collaboration. This enterprise messaging solution allows us to message each other in channel-based workstreams, integrate with our core applications to boost efficiency, and communicate across both desktop and mobile devices on one central platform. All employees will have access to Slack by Wednesday, August 21.
Why are we using Slack?
After vetting similar technologies and hearing from other industry leaders that Slack was their tool of choice, we agreed that this enterprise-wide communication platform is the best fit for our way of work. Everything you share in Slack is automatically indexed, which creates an easily searchable archive of all communication exchanges. Additionally, Slack also ties in with other communication tools like Salesforce, Jira, Seismic, and Outlook and can help automate some of our workflows.
Slack can help us with:
How to access Slack:
On Wednesday, August 21, Slack will be available on your computer via Self Service for easy download. You will need to sign in with your employee credentials via Okta.
Slack Training Sessions Are Happening!
On Tuesday, August 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. ET, Slack will be hosting a "Welcome to Slack" training session via WebEx. Stay tuned for more details later this week.
Questions or feedback? If you have internal Slack questions, please submit a ticket via Help Desk.
Looking forward to continuing our agile journey through our updated tech stack!
Thanks,
XXX
Chief Technology Officer
Tone: Informative
Subject: Introducing... Slack!
Date: August 2020
Hi team,
As you know from our last all hands, we’re moving to Slack for our internal day-to-day communications to promote better cross-functional collaboration. This enterprise messaging solution allows us to message each other in channel-based workstreams, integrate with our core applications to boost efficiency, and communicate across both desktop and mobile devices on one central platform. All employees will have access to Slack by Wednesday, August 21.
Why are we using Slack?
After vetting similar technologies and hearing from other industry leaders that Slack was their tool of choice, we agreed that this enterprise-wide communication platform is the best fit for our way of work. Everything you share in Slack is automatically indexed, which creates an easily searchable archive of all communication exchanges. Additionally, Slack also ties in with other communication tools like Salesforce, Jira, Seismic, and Outlook and can help automate some of our workflows.
Slack can help us with:
- Communicating transparently across the company
- Providing greater visibility into what other teams are working on
- Quicker feedback, which will lead to better decision-making
- Configuring personalized notifications
- Integrating with tools that we already use
- Providing automation capabilities
How to access Slack:
On Wednesday, August 21, Slack will be available on your computer via Self Service for easy download. You will need to sign in with your employee credentials via Okta.
Slack Training Sessions Are Happening!
On Tuesday, August 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. ET, Slack will be hosting a "Welcome to Slack" training session via WebEx. Stay tuned for more details later this week.
Questions or feedback? If you have internal Slack questions, please submit a ticket via Help Desk.
Looking forward to continuing our agile journey through our updated tech stack!
Thanks,
XXX
Chief Technology Officer